Jason Aldean Files for Divorce Following Cheating Scandal

Aldean and Jessica Ussery are going separate ways, seven months after the country star was spotted kissing Brittany Kerr.

Jason Aldean and Jessica Ussery officially call it quits. PEOPLE reported that Jason filed for divorce from his high school sweetheart on Friday, April 26. In a document submitted to Williamson County, Tennessee court, he cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the separation.

In regards to his separation from his wife of 12 years, Jason said in a statement, "This is a really tough time for my entire family. Jessica and I have been together since we were teenagers. We've been through a lot of ups and downs over the years as we grew up together as a couple." He added, "She will always be important to me because she is the mother of my children, and I know that we will both always make our daughters our number one priority."

In the statement, Jason continued saying that he hoped for some privacy for the sake of his daughters. "I've learned that everyone always rushes to judgment when they hear news like this. That's really hard because no one knows anything about our relationship but us. I understand that because of my job, I have to go through a lot of this in the public eye, but for my girls' sake I really wish people would give us some level of privacy and at the very least be respectful of them," he said.

Jason and Jessica, who got married in 2001, have two young daughters, 10-year-old Keeley and 5-year-old Kendyl. Last September, pictures of him kissing a former "American Idol" contestant Brittany Kerr surfaced. The "My Kinda Party" singer later issued a statement on his Facebook, saying that he "had too much to drink, let the party get out of hand and acted inappropriately at a bar."

He also apologized to his fans. "I ultimately ended up embarrassing my family and myself. I'm not perfect, and I'm sorry for disappointing you guys. I really appreciate being able to work through this privately with my family and for all your continued support," he wrote.